1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the transportation industry and more particularly to a method and apparatus for automatically recording and calculating safety-related compliance data for vehicle operators.
2. Description of the Related Art
Truck drivers across the United States presently operate under regulations promulgated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWY). The DOT and FHWY regulate many aspects of the transportation industry ranging from vehicle maintenance to substance abuse. One of the more important areas that the DOT and FHWY monitor is the occurrence of truck-related accidents and ways to reduce the number of such accidents.
Driver fatigue has been cited by the DOT and FHWY as being one of the primary causes of truck-related accidents. Consequently, the FHWY has adopted regulations that limit the number of hours that truck drivers may operate a vehicle over a given time period. For example, the DOT prohibits any driver from driving a commercial vehicle in excess of 10 hours and requires 8 hours of rest prior to driving again.
To ensure compliance with these safety regulations, the FHWY also requires drivers to keep detailed written records of the number of hours: (1) driving; (2) on-duty not driving; (3) resting, and; (4) off-duty. Drivers must provide daily updates into a logbook carried with the driver, detailing the number of hours spent in each of the four categories mentioned above. Other information may be required as well, such as the location of where the log book entry occurred, a vehicle identification number, the name of the nearest city at the time of a logbook entry, and so on. A driver must make entries into the log book each time the driver: (1) begins driving; (2) stops driving; (3) starts or ends an "on-duty not driving" period, and; (4) starting or ending a period of rest. Drivers are mandated by federal rules to chart their hours and activities every day by drawing lines on a grid in the log book and calculating the number of hours driving, on-duty not driving, resting, and off duty, over a twenty four hour period.
Federal officials periodically inspect driver logbooks at weigh stations and other locations to certify that they have been kept up-to-date by the driver, and that the driver is following the FHWA mandated regulations. If a driver is found to be out of compliance with the FHWA regulations, he or she will not be permitted to continue driving until the proper amount of off-duty or rest time has elapsed. This results in late deliveries to customers and general inefficiency for the driver's employer. The driver is also penalized because the mandated "rest" time affects the hours that he/she is able to work. If a number of violations occur over a given time period, substantial fines may be levied against the driver and/or employers.
The logbooks are a nuisance for drivers to fill out and keep current. Consequently, entries are often neglected until well after the time they were supposed to be entered. This may result in erroneous entries, since the driver must rely on memory as to the timing of recordable events. Inaccurate entries into the logbook may be discovered during an audit of the carrier's records by FHWA officials months, or even years, later.
The logbooks are also susceptible to intentional misrepresentation by vehicle operators. Commercial vehicle operators are sometimes paid by the number of loads delivered, so there is a great incentive for operators to intentionally under-report the hours that they have driven, or to over-report the number of rest hours between driving periods.
What is needed is a way to ensure compliance with safety regulations without the problems associated with the present method for doing so.